What Bryce Young said about his relationship with Panthers coach Dave Canales

Nothing sinks an NFL team faster than a disconnect between the starting quarterback and their head coach. Good news: while there are plenty of other question marks for the Carolina Panthers, that critical dynamic appears to be on good footing going into the 2025 season.

It very easily could have gone the other way, though. Panthers head coach Dave Canales' decision to bench Bryce Young after just two starts at the beginning of last season was a risky one. However, to his credit, Young handled that call well, even though he admitted recently that he disagreed with the decision.

Young was asked about his relationship with Canales following yesterday's practice. Here's what he had to say about it, per David Newton at ESPN.

Bryce Young on Dave Canales

Bryce Young on his relationship with #Panthers coach Dave Canales after being benched at 0-2 last year. pic.twitter.com/e57RyQAFgC
— David Newton (@DNewtonespn) September 3, 2025

When Young returned to the lineup midseason he immediately showed improvement in several key areas, and he continued to get better as the season went on. By the time it was over, Young did not remotely resemble the quarterback he was in Weeks 1-2 and was performing at a top-10 level.

Looking ahead, Young will have to keep on growing into his game if the Panthers are going to take the next step - which should be the goal of posting a winning record for the first time since 2017. To get there he's going to need help from Canales, who was ranked an average-at-best offensive playcaller in the NFL during the offseason.

A lot goes into that fine art, but most of all Canales has to do a better job of calling plays that enable Young to move the chains rather than relying so much on explosives, which are inherently unsustainable. If Canales does nohing else but that this offense should make a significant jump in 2025.

Dec 22, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales talks with quarterback Bryce Young (9) during a time out during the second half against the Arizona Cardinals at Bank of America Stadium. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

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